Knitting method and apparatus utilizing cylinder and dial needles

ABSTRACT

A knitting method and apparatus according to which dial needles and cylinder needles cooperate with each other during rib knitting operations, the number of cylinder needles being twice the number of dial needles and every other cylinder needle being maintained in an inactive position while the remaining operative half of the cylinder needles coact with the dial needles during rib knitting operations. The transfer of knitting takes place from the dial needles directly to the operative half of the cylinder needles which coact with the dial needles during rib knitting, the dial needles engaging the cylinder needles at the transfer station while being spaced substantially midway between the cylinder needles at a stitch forming station. Suitable controls are provided for the dial needles and cylinder needles to retract the dial needles to inactive positions when they are not required and cams are provided to elevate the cylinder needles upwardly beyond the elevation they have during normal rib knitting operations in order to carry out the transfer operations. The dial needles extend tangentially with respect to a small circle surrounding the axis around which the dial needles rotate with this latter axis being spaced from the axis around which the cylinder needles rotate so that due to this arrangement it is possible to displace the dial needles between positions engaging the cylinder needles at the transfer station and spaced therebetween at the stitch forming station.

United States Patent 1 Roque 1 Apr. 15, 1975 KNITTING METHOD AND APPARATUS UTILIZING CYLINDER AND DIAL NEEDLES [76] Inventor: Ramon Masriera Roque, Calle San Esteban, 53, Malgrat de Mar, Barcelona, Spain 221 Filed: Mar. 2, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 337,706

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No, 1 17,001, Feb. 19, 1971, abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 761,201, Sept. 20, 1968, abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 2-2, 1967 Spain 345787 [52] US. Cl 66/24; 66/19 [51] Int. Cl D04b 9/22 [58] Field of Search 66/19, 24

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS,

2,997,865 8/1961 Philp 66/24 3,487,660 l/1970 Holder l 66/19 3,605,446 9/1971 Crawford et al 66/24 Primary ExaminerRonald Feldbaum Attorney, Agent, or FirmSteinberg and Blake [57] ABSTRACT A knitting method and apparatus according to which dial needles and cylinder needles cooperate with each other during rib knitting operations, the number of cylinder needles being twice the number of dial needles and every other cylinder needle being maintained in an inactive position while the remaining operative half of the cylinder needles coact with the dial needles during rib knitting operations. The transfer of knitting takes place from the dial needles directly to the operative half of the cylinder needles which coact with the dial needles-during rib knitting, the dial needles engaging the cylinder needles at the transfer station while being spaced substantially midway between the cylinder needles at a stitch forming station. Suitable controls are provided for the dial needles and cylinder needles to retract the dial needles to inactive positions when they are not required and cams are provided to elevate the cylinder needles upwardly beyond the elevation they have during normal rib knitting operations in order to carry out the transfer operations. The dial needles extend tangentially with respect to a small circle surrounding the axis around which the dial needles rotate with this latter axis being spaced from the axis around which the cylinder needles rotate so that due to this arrangement it is possible to displace the dial needles between positions engaging the cylinder needles at the transfer station and spaced therebetween at the stitch forming station.

16 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTED 1 51975 3.877. 256

INVENTOR. RAMON MASRIERA ROQUE ATTORNEYS PATENIEUAPR 1 5:915

SHLU 3 UP 5 FIG? INVENTOR. RAMON MASRI ERA ROQUE PATENTEUAPR 1 5l975 sum 5 gr 5 KNITTING METHOD AND APPARATUS UTILIZING CYLINDER AND DIAL NEEDLES CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 117,001, filed Feb. 19, l97l now abandoned, and entitled Circular Knitting Machine Having Radial And Cylinder Needles," this latter application itself being a continuation of application Ser. No. 761,201, filed Sept. 20, 1968, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to circular knitting machines.

Circular knitting machines conventionally include, among their important components, a series of needles mounted in a cylinder and a coacting series of sinkers which are distributed about the cylinder axis at the operating zones of the needles, thus forming an annular ring of sinkers. The needle cylinder can rotate about the cylinder axis with respect to a cam cylinder which controls the movements of the needles, or the cam cylinder can rotate while the needle cylinder remains stationary. Such a machine conventionally includes additional means for actuating the components and for selecting those needles which are to participate in the knitting operations, so as to bring about, according to a selected pattern, the operation of the knitting machine required to achieve various types of knitting articles.

When such a machine is used for knitting articles such as socks, stockings, pants, girdles, etc., or parts of such garments, as for example tubular sleeves and legs, it is known to use the machine in such a way as to achieve relatively large loose loops providing a full open mesh or an equivalent pattern so as to obtain highly desirable design effects, many of which are considered practically indispensable to the fashion requirements of certain garments.

However, in may instances it is also essential, in order to achieve certain other desired characteristics in the garments, to form zones of so-called rib knitting, for example at the cuffs of certain garments which also are required to have zones of full or open mesh achieved by plan knitting of relatively large loops. For example, the body, sleeves or legs of garments which require these different and incompatible characteristics have up to the present time required machines the diameter, needle number, and gauge of which do not satisfactorily permit the required knitting to be achieved at predetermined zones of the garment.

Machines of the type referred to above are able, as a result of suitable adjustments, to produce these different types of knitted fabric in one and the same article. However, the production of knitting of full and open mesh requires, in order to obtain predetermined design effects in the mesh, operations with extremely wide gauge, which is to say operations with a relatively small number of needles of the needle cylinder of the machine, with these needles being separated by relatively large spaces from each other. On the other hand, in order to produce rib knitting of adequate tightness and density, as well as of required elasticity, it is necessary to use the greatest possible number of needles which are closely spaced to achieve a very small gauge, so that the best possible conditions for achieving both kinds of knitted fabrics are entirely incompatible with each other. Up to the present time it has not been possible to unite a single machine structure capable of manufacturing tubular garments or parts of garments in which both of these qualities are achieved to the desired degree. r

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to solve the above problem by providing a single circularknitting machine which while having a simple construction at the same time operates in a completely satisfactory manner, from every point of view, to achieve in one and the same garment and with one and the same machine tubular knitted portion, or parts of the garment, where there are both fabric zones of perfectly satisfactory rib knitting and zones of perfectly satisfactory open, full mesh.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a single machine which can produce both of these types of knitting in the best possible manner for each particular type, without requiring modifications in the knitting and knitting structure which tend to adapt, in an undesirable manner, each type of knitting to the other type of knitting in the same garment.

In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide for a knitting machine of the above type an arrangement of needles and controls therefor capable of changing over in an efficient uncomplicated manner between close, rib knitting and loose, open knitting of relatively large gauge, whenever desired according to a predetermined pattern, and in such a manner that the one type of knitting operations do not in any way interfere with the other type.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a knitting method for operating a circular knitting machine in such a way that rib knitting operations can be carried out very effectively by cooperation between dial needles and cylinder needles while other knitting operations can be carried out very effectively with the cylinder needles alone.

Also, it is an object of the present invention to provide a circular knitting method and apparatus according to which the dial needles directly engage the cylinder needles at a transfer station but are capable of being spaced between the cylinder needles with which the dial needles cooperate at a stitch forming station.

In accordance with the invention, a circular knitting machine which is for the most part conventional and which includes a cylinder needle means extending parallel to the axis of the cylinder, as well as a sinker means extending around this axis and coacting with the cylinder needle means, coacts with a dial needle means extending substantially radially with respect to the cylinder axis and being movable toward and away from this axis. In the event that the needle cylinder rotates, the dial needles rotate in synchronism therewith about the cylinder axis. A control means coacts with the dial needle means for displacing the latter substantially radially between different positions one of.which is an operating position where an operating end of the dial needle means coacts with the cylinder needle means to carry our rib knitting operations. Thus, the various drives, pattern selecting controls, and the like are operatively connected not only with the conventional circular knitting machine structure but also with the dial needle means and the control means for the latter so as to provide synchronous rotary movement of all of the parts and so as to provide in accordance with selections automatically made by known mechanisms, during one phase of operation, coaction between the dial needle means and the cylinder needle means to provide rib knitting. During another operating phase, however, the dial needle means is displaced by the control means to an inoperative position where the dial needle means does not participate in the knitting operations, so that at this time only the cylinder needle means acts to produce the knitting.

According to a preferred arrangement, when the machine operates to provide rib knitting, all of the dial needles coact with only half of the cylinder needles, and in fact with every other cylinder needle coacting with the dial needles. so that the cylinder needles which alternate with those which coact with the dial needles are in an inactive position at this time. When the machine has finished rib knitting operations and is to be changed over to plain knitting with a full, open mesh, then the structure transfers the knitting from the dial needles to the cylinder needles which coact with the dial needles, while those needles of the cylinder which were inactive are still maintained inactive.

It is apparent, therefore, that at the time of transfer of the knitting from the dial needles to the cylinder needles, during changeover from rib knitting operations to plain knitting where the dial needles have no loops thereon and become inactive or idle, only the needles of the cylinder continue to operate, and the number of operating needles has been reduced by one half, so that as a consequence the gauge or separation between the active needles has been increased.

Now the machine will continue to operate to provide plain knitting of a fuller open mesh until, as may be required by the particular design of the particular article which is knitted, a change may be carried out in the number of cylinder needles which are operated, bringing a predetermined proportion of the previously inactive needles into operation, in an irregular proportion, if desired, so as to achieve denser knitting, having no openings, to coact with the larger looper providing the relatively full or open mesh of the mitted article.

The dial needle means includes for the dial needles guiding butts which are acted upon by the machine controls, in the form of cams providing predetermined cam tracks which receive the guiding butts, and these butts may be of different lengths so as to increase the range of possible selections which may be made by the machine. The control means which coacts with the dial needle means to control the latter is in the form of a cam plate situated in a plane normal to the cylinder axis and including a plurality of cams which define not only tracks coacting with the guide butts of the dial needles to bring about conventional operations but also inner and outer tracks extending around the cylinder axis for situating the dial needles in inoperative and operative positions. In addition, the cams define a transfer track which situates the dial needles at a transfer position where the knitting is transferred from the dial needles to the cylinder needles, and there are retractable control cams for controlling the travel of the butts amont the several tracks defined by the cams.

While the cylinder needles form part of a circular knitting machine which is for the most part conventional, as pointed out above, this primarily conventional machine structure is provided, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, with a control cam arrangement, which may be retractable, if desired, and which will raise the cylinder needles, at preselected moments, in accordance with the desired operations, to an elevation higher than their normal elevation for cooperating with the dial needles during transfer of the knitting between the dial and cylinder needles.

Also, as was pointed out above, a further feature of the invention resides in providing a number of dial needles equal to one half the number of cylinder needles, and these dial needles are aligned with those cylinder needles which alternate with the cylinder needles which are active during operation of the dial needles, so that the cylinder needles aligned with the dial needles are in an inactive position during operation of the dial needles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS One possible embodiment ofa circular knitting struc' ture according to the invention is shown by way of example in a schematic manner in a preferred construction in the drawings which accompany and form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation showing the cylinder and dial needle means as well as the sinker means, the.

cylinder axis being situated to the left of and extending parallel to the cylinder needle shown extending vertically in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic illustration of the manner in which the dial and cylinder needle means coact during transfer of the knitting from the dial needle means to the cylinder needle means;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic bottom plan view schematically illustrating a control means for the dial needle means as seen when locking upwardly toward the downwardly directed surface of this control means;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, schematic, perspective illustration of dial and cylinder needles and the manner in which loops are carried thereby;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, perspective, schematic illustration similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating the first operating step toward transferring the loops from the dial to the cylinder needles;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, schematic, perspective illustration similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 but showing a stage in the operation of loop transfer subsequent to that of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates in a schematic perspective fragmentary view the final stage in the loop-transfer operation when the loops are completely removed from the dial needles and are entirely carried by the cylinder needles;

FIG. 8 is a perspective schematic illustration of part of the dial needles, and part of the cylinder needles;

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view illustrating the relationship between the axes of rotation of the dial and cylinder needles as well as the circular paths of movement of the dial needles and cylinder needles;

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of the grooves in which the dial needles are guided for movement;

FIG. 11 is a schematic developed elevation of the arrangement of cams which form part of the control means for the cylinder needles; and

FIG. 12 shows the structure of FIG. 3 together with a cam for correcting the positions of the dial needles,

one of which is schematically illustrated, as they approach the transfer station.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. I and 2, the cylinder needle means is represented by the cylinder needle 1 which is one of a series of cylinder needles distributed circumferentially about the cylinder axis which is situated to the left of and extends parallel to the cylinder needle 1 of FIG. I. In the illustrated example the cylinder which carries the cylinder needles rotates with respect to a stationary cam cylinder, and, as is well known, the cylinder needles are guided in axial cylinder grooves for vertical movement. The cylinder needle I terminates at its top end in the curved hook portion 2 with which a swingable closure tongue 3 coacts in a well known manner. In addition, the needle 1 has at its bottom end the needle butt 4, and the control for the vertical movements to be carried out by the needle 1 are achieved by way of the intermediate jack 5 and the selector jack 6, these jacks being provided with conven tional control and selection butts 7 and 8. As is also conventional, the cylinder needle means coacts with a sinker means represented by the sinker 9 in FIG. 1, a series of these sinkers being annularly arranged around the cylinder axis in a conventional manner and being controlled by conventional control structure so as to coact with the needles to knit plain loops forming plain courses and wales, with the possibility of achieving different designs effects and different variations according to the pattern selection transmitted in a conventional manner to the selector jack 6.

Thus, these components will coact with devices well known in circular knitting machines to provide for the cylinder needles predetermined up-and-down move ments to form the knitted loops and to provide preselected variations in the knitted structure, as a result of the controlled movements of the cylinder needles and sinkers, so as to achieve predetermined different combinations of knitted patterns and structures, as is conventional.

At the upper region of the needle cylinder, where the cylinder needle means coacts with the sinker means to form the knitted loops, there is located, according to the invention, a dial needle means represented by the dial needle 10. The dial needle means includes a series of the needles 10 arranged substantially radially and distributed circumferentially about the cylinder axis in a plane normal thereto, and these dial needles are longitudinally slidable in grooves formed in a suitable supporting plate which is coaxial with the needle cylinder. In an example where the latter rotates with respect to a stationary cam cylinder, the plate which mounts the dial needles for longitudinal shifting movement is rotated by suitable transmissions in complete synchronism with the needle cylinder.

As may be seen from FIG. 8, the dial needles 10 do not extend precisely radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the dial needles. As may be seen from FIG. 9, the dial needles have an axis of rotation 40 which is parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation 42 of the cylinder needles. Thus, the cylinder needles move along a circular path 44 while the dial needles move along a circular path 46. The circular dial needle path 46 is located closest to the circular cylinder needle path 44 at the transfer station shown at the lower part of FIG. 9 while these circular paths are situated at the greatest distance from each other at the stitch forming station which is opposed to the transfer station. FIG. 10 schematically illustrates the bed 48 which receives the dial needles and which is formed with the grooves 50 in which the dial needles are respectively guided for longitudinal movement. As is apparent from FIG. 10, these grooves 50 in which the dial needles 10 are respectively guided for longitudinal movement extend tangentially with respect to a relatively small circle 52 which coaxially surrounds the axis of rotation 40 of the dial needles. As a result of this feature, as may be seen particularly from FIG. 8, the dial needles 10 while directly engaging the cylinder needles 1 at the transfer station become displaced with respect to the cylinder needles 1 so as to be situated substantially midway therebetween at the stitch forming station. It has been found from experience that this particular arrangement results in very effective rib knitting operations and operations in connection with transfer of knitting from the dial needles to the cylinder needles, and in particular when handling heavy gauge threads during knitting of open mesh pattern articles the apparatus and method of the invention are very effective.

A control means, which also forms part of the structure of the invention, is provided to control the positions of the dial needle means, these positions including among others an operating position where the dial needle means 10 coacts with the cylinder needle means 1 to provide rib knitting. This control means includes the cam plate 11 shown in FIG. 3, this cam plate 11 closing the dial grooves of the plate which carries the dial nee dles. The cam plate 11 is stationary in the case where the dial and cylinder needle means rotate about the cylinder axis, and the center of the circular cam plate 11 is situated in the cylinder axis. The cam plate carries a plurality of cams, as schematically indicated in FIG. 3, and these cams define various tracks for receiving the guide butt means 14 of the dial needle means 10.

As may be seen from FIG. 3, the cams of the control means define an outer track 12 extending around the cylinder axis and an inner track 13 also extending around the cylinder axis and surrounded by the outer track 12. Thus, when the guide butts 14 of the dial needles 10 are in these tracks, the positions of the dial needles will be controlled in accordance with the configurations of the cam tracks. The outer track 12 maintains the needles 10 at locations spaced relatively distant from the cylinder axis, and this location is an outer operating position where the dial needles coact with the cylinder needles to take yarn fed according to controls achieved by the cam portion 15 and to form from the yarn loops while simultaneously casting off the previously formed loops by controls achieved with the cam 16.

The inner track 13 maintains the needles 10 in an inactive, inwardly retracted position where they do not participate in the knitting operations.

The outer and inner tracks 12 and 13 communicate with each other through a track 17 the angular location of which corresponds to an inactive angular zone of the knitting cycle. However, this track 17 communicates with a branching track 18 defined in part by the cam 19. This track 18 forms a transfer track by means of which the dial needles 10 are displaced outwardly away from the cylinder axis by a radial distance greater than that required for loop formation, determined by cam 15, so that at this time the needles l0 and 1 will have with respect to each other the position schematically illustrated in FIG. 2. In this position the last course of loops which were formed can be transferred from the dial needles to the cylinder needles. The loop-transfer operations are illustrated in FIGS. 4-7. Referring to FIG. 4, some of the dial needles are illustrated in their operating positions. The illustrated cylinder needles include the working or operating needles la and the inoperative needles lb which alternate with the needles la, as described above. FIG. 4 illustrates ribknitting operations where loops 30 are the dial needle loops, loops 31 are the cylinder needle loops, and loops 32 are the completed loops of the already knitted goods. As has been pointed out above, the number of dial needles 10 is half the number of cylinder needles with the alternate cylinder needles 1a operating during the formation of the ribbed knitwear and extending between the dial needles 10. The needles lb which are in the inoperative or rest positions at this time are angularly positioned in the same way as the dial needles 10. When the needles 1b are raised with respect to the needles 10 they will move past the right or front surfaces of the dial needles, as viewed in FIG. 6 where the raised cylinder needles 1a are shown.

The first loop-transferring operation for transferring the dial loops from the dial needles 10 to the cylinder needles la is illustrated in FIG. 5. The cam 19 shown in FIG. 3 pushes the dial needles radially away from the axis of the cylinder, so that, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the sinker portions 22 of the dial needles pull the loops 30 outwardly until they extend radially beyond the needles 1a and define loop interiors through which the needles la will extend when the latter are displaced upwardly. All of the remaining components remain in the illustrated positions for the time being.

Then, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the cylinder needles 1a are raised by a cam of the cylinder needle actuating cams, and thus the raised needles la will now extend into the loops 30 between the dial needles 10 and one of the legs of the loops, respectively.

Then the dial needles 10 are retracted inwardly to their inoperative positions, and thus reach the positions shown in FIG. 7. However, the loops 30 are still held by the raised cylinder needles la. The latches 33 of the dial needles l0 simply move past the loops 30 while swinging to close the hooks at the outer ends of the dial needles 10. In this way the loops 30 fall from the dial needles l0 and are thereafter held by the cylinder needles la, so that now all of the knitted work is held by the cylinder needles 1a.

In order to enhance these transfer operations, the cams which control the elevation of the cylinder needles can include a cam arrangement for raising the cylinder needle means to the elevations required for the transfer operations, and the additional cam structure which achieves an additional elevation for the cylinder needles simply have a configuration conforming to the structural characteristics of the machine and bringing about the required controls for the elevation of the cylinder needles. Thus, it will be seen from FIG. 11 that the control means for the cylinder needles include the cams which are schematically shown in a developed view in FIG. 11. While these cams are for the most part conventional, they include, in accordance with the invention, a cam 52 which can be raised and lowered as indicated by the double-headed arrow 54, and a cam 56 which controls the cylinder needles subsequent to the cam 54. The cam 52 is elevated to an operative position when the transfer operations are to be carried out, and at this time the cylinder needles are raised by way of the cam 52 so as to contact the dial needles which move outwardly due to the arrangement of the cam shown in FIG. 3 as well as due to the tangential arrangement of the dial needles and the arrangement of the needle paths as shown in FIG. 9. The result of this arrangement is that the dial needles move outwardly and place the loops held thereby over the cylinder needles, respectively, and then the cylinder needles are further raised by way of the cam 56 so that they enter through the dial loops.

According to a further feature of the invention, as shown in FIG. 12, the controls for the dial needles include an additional cam 58 arranged as shown in FIG. 12 to engage the tips of the dial needles as they approach the transfer station. The configuration of the cam 58 is such that by engagement with the dial needle heads as the dial needles approach the transfer station any incorrect longitudinal positions of the dial needles will be effectively corrected in order to place the dial needles just precisely in rubbing or frictional contact with the cylinder needles during the transfer operations.

At the entrance and exit ends of the tracks 17 and 18,

the control means is provided with cams 20 and 21 which are retractable automatically and in a known way between positions located in the path of movement of the butts l4 and positions displaced beyond the path of movement of the butts 14. In this way the control cams 20 and 21 effect the displacement of the guide butts 14 among preselected tracks 12, 13 and 18, thus bringing about various possible operations. When the control earns 20 and 21 are retracted, the guide butts 14 will be maintained in the outer track 12 moving along the latter and through the track 17 so as to be maintained in the track 12. When a transfer operation is to be carried out, the control cam 20 is displaced into the path of movement of the butts 14 so that the dial needles will now have their butts guided into the transfer t-rack 18, so that the parts will then have the position indicated in FIG. 2 enabling the transfer operations to be carried out. Simultaneously with displacement of the cam 20 into the path of the butts 14, the cam 21 will also be displaced into the path of the butts, so that after the latter pass through the transfer track 18 they will be guided by the cam 21 into the inner track 13 which retracts the dial needles inwardly to their inactive positions. Thus, after the transfer operations are completed the dial needles are retracted inwardly to their inactive positions. After the transfer operations are completed, the control cam 20 is retracted so that the butts 14 will no longer be deflected to the track 18, and upon retraction of the cam 21, the machine is again placed in a condition where the knitting operations will be carried out by the cylinder and dial needle means I and 10.

According to a preferred example of the invention, the number of needles which form the dial needle means is equal to one half the number of needles which form the cylinder needle means, and the dial needle means are respectively angularly aligned with cylinder needles equal in number to the number of dial needles and alternating with thos cylinder needles which coact with the dial needles, so that these cylinder needles with which the dial needles are respectively aligned are maintained in inactive positions during operation of the dial needles. The cylinder needles which remain operative so as to coact with the dial needles are thus equal in number to the number of dial needles and coact therewith not only to perform rib knitting operations but also to perform the transfer operations indicated in FIG. 2. Thus, those cylinder needles which are respectively angularly aligned with the dial needles are situated by suitable actuation of the transfer jacks and selecting mechanism coacting therewith so that these needles will be maintained at an inactive elevation during preselected periods of operation controlled, for example, by the pattern chain of the machine which is conventional and which has previously been set in a known way to achieve a predetermined knitting pattern.

It is to be noted that the dial needles 10 have a special construction in that they are provided with sinker por tions 22 which serve to positively support the loops of the fabric during the transfer operations.

Thus, the above-described circular knitting machine can operate in a number of different ways:

When the dial needles 10 are inwardly retracted by the track 13 to their inactive positions, the cylinder needles 1 coact with the sinkers 9 to knit plain courses and wales with plain loops capable of achieving any conventional combinations of patterns or structures. The selection thus affects only part 'of the profile of the needle cylinder, so that rib knitting can be achieved in a manner described above and on the other hand, it is possible to achieve plain knitting utilizing all of the cylinder needles, if desired, so as to knit, for example, heels and soles in socks or stockings.

Thus, it is clear that the circular knitting machine of the invention considerably increases the possible operations which can be achieved with known circular knitting machines. Also, it is clear that in accordance with the above-described structure of the invention, an infinite number of technical variations are possible, as will be evident to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. ln a circular knitting machine, cylinder needle means extending parallel to the axis of a needle cylinder and sinker means coacting with said cylinder needle means for knitting yarn fed thereto, dial needle means extending substantially radially with respect to said axis and being longitudinally movable, and control means coacting with said dial needle means for displacing the latter to a plurality of positions one of which is an operating position where said dial needle means coact with said cylinder needle means for forming rib knitting therewith, said dial needle means including a number of dial needles equal to one half the number of cylinder needles of said cylinder needle means, and said cylinder needle means when coacting with said dial needle means having every other cylinder needle displaced to an inactive position, while the remainng operative half of the number of cylinder needles coact with said dial needles for forming rib knitting therewith, and said dial needle means also coacting with said remaining operative half of the number of cylinder needles for transferring knitting thereto, said cylinder needles which are in said inactive position remaining in said inactive position during transfer of knitting from said dial needles to said operative half of the number of cylinder needles so that said cylinder needles which are in said inactive position do not participate in the transfer of knitting from said dial needles to said cylinder needles,

said cylinder needle means and dial needle means respectively having parallel axes of rotation which are spaced from each other and said cylinder needle means and dial needle means respectively providing for said cylinder needles and dial needles circular paths of movement which are closest to each other at a transfer station where knitting is transferred from said dial needles to said cylinder needles and which are spaced at the greatest distance from each other at a stitch forming station opposed to said transfer station.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said control means includes a cam plate normal to the cylinder axis and carrying cams which define tracks of predetermined configuration, said dial needle means including a guide butt portion received in said tracks so that the positions of said dial needle means will be controlled by the configuration of said tracks, said tracks including an inner track extending around said cylinder axis and determining an inoperative position for said dial needle means, an outer track extending around said axis and said inner track and determining said operating position for said dial needle means, a transfer track positioning said dial needle means at a location for transfer to said cylinder needle means, and retractable cams retractable between positions controlling the movement of said dial needle means among said tracks.

3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said control means provides for said dial needle means a position of transfer of the knitted yarn from said dial needle means to said cylinder needle means, and said cylinder needle means having elevated positions, controlled by cams which-coact with the needle cylinder means, for coacting with said dial needle means during transfer.

4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said control means includes cams defining tracks and guide butt means fixed to and extending from said dial needle means and received in said tracks, and said guide butt means having different lengths for controlling selection of said dial needle means according to different positions of the cams of said control means.

5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein cam means coact with said cylinder needle means for raising the latter to a height adapted for coaction with said dial needle means to transfer knitting from the latter to the former, and said cam means being retractable and connected with controls of the knitting machine.

6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said cylinder and dial needle means coact for reducing the number of operating needles of said cylinder needle means and for reducing the spacing of operating needles by one half.

7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said dial needle means includes sinker portions coacting as a sinker means with respect to said cylinder needle means.

8. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said dial needles respectively extend tangentially with respect to a small circle whose center is in the axis of rotation of said dial needle means for assuming a position respectively aligned with said operative half of said cylinder needles at said transfer station while being spaced substantially midway between said operative half of said cylinder needles at said stitch forming station.

9. The combination of claim 1 and wherein a cam means forms part of said cylinder needles means for raising said operative half of said cylinder needles to a height adapted for coaction with said dial needles to transfer knitting from the latter to the former at said transfer station, said cam means being retractable and connected with controls of the knitting machine.

10. In a method of operating a circular knitting machine having cylinder needles and dial needles with the number of cylinder needles being twice the number of dial needles, the steps of carrying out rib knitting operations while utilizing said dial needles and one half the number of cylinder needles while maintaining every other cylinder needle in an inactive position, and transferring knitting from said dial needles to the operative half of the number of cylinder needles while maintaining said other cylinder needles in said inactive position.

11. In a method as recited in claim and including the steps of placing said dial needles in engagement with said operative half of the number of cylinder needles during transfer of knitting thereto while spacing said dial needles between the operative half of the number of cylinder needles during stitch-forming operations.

12. In a method as recited in claim 10 and including the step raising said cylinder needles to elevations above those used during rib knitting operations for effecting transfer of knitting from said dial needles to said cylinder needles.

[3. In a method as recited in claim 10 and including the step of utilizing those cylinder needles which are inactive during rib knitting operations with said dial needles in order to carry out additional knitting operations after transfer of knitting from said dial needles to said cylinder needles.

14. In a method as recited in claim 13 and including the step of retracting said dial needles to inactive positions when knitting operations are carried out only with said cylinder needles.

15. in a method as recited in claim 10 and including the step of correcting the longitudinal positions of the dial needles, if necessary, as the dial needles approach a transfer station where transfer of knitting from the dial needles to the cylinder needles takes place.

16. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said control means includes a correcting cam situated in the path of movement of the dial needles as they approach said transfer station where transfer of the knitting takes place in order to correct the longitudinal positions of 

1. In a circular knitting machine, cylinder needle means extending parallel to the axis of a needle cylinder and sinker means coacting With said cylinder needle means for knitting yarn fed thereto, dial needle means extending substantially radially with respect to said axis and being longitudinally movable, and control means coacting with said dial needle means for displacing the latter to a plurality of positions one of which is an operating position where said dial needle means coact with said cylinder needle means for forming rib knitting therewith, said dial needle means including a number of dial needles equal to one half the number of cylinder needles of said cylinder needle means, and said cylinder needle means when coacting with said dial needle means having every other cylinder needle displaced to an inactive position, while the remainng operative half of the number of cylinder needles coact with said dial needles for forming rib knitting therewith, and said dial needle means also coacting with said remaining operative half of the number of cylinder needles for transferring knitting thereto, said cylinder needles which are in said inactive position remaining in said inactive position during transfer of knitting from said dial needles to said operative half of the number of cylinder needles so that said cylinder needles which are in said inactive position do not participate in the transfer of knitting from said dial needles to said cylinder needles, said cylinder needle means and dial needle means respectively having parallel axes of rotation which are spaced from each other and said cylinder needle means and dial needle means respectively providing for said cylinder needles and dial needles circular paths of movement which are closest to each other at a transfer station where knitting is transferred from said dial needles to said cylinder needles and which are spaced at the greatest distance from each other at a stitch forming station opposed to said transfer station.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said control means includes a cam plate normal to the cylinder axis and carrying cams which define tracks of predetermined configuration, said dial needle means including a guide butt portion received in said tracks so that the positions of said dial needle means will be controlled by the configuration of said tracks, said tracks including an inner track extending around said cylinder axis and determining an inoperative position for said dial needle means, an outer track extending around said axis and said inner track and determining said operating position for said dial needle means, a transfer track positioning said dial needle means at a location for transfer to said cylinder needle means, and retractable cams retractable between positions controlling the movement of said dial needle means among said tracks.
 3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said control means provides for said dial needle means a position of transfer of the knitted yarn from said dial needle means to said cylinder needle means, and said cylinder needle means having elevated positions, controlled by cams which coact with the needle cylinder means, for coacting with said dial needle means during transfer.
 4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said control means includes cams defining tracks and guide butt means fixed to and extending from said dial needle means and received in said tracks, and said guide butt means having different lengths for controlling selection of said dial needle means according to different positions of the cams of said control means.
 5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein cam means coact with said cylinder needle means for raising the latter to a height adapted for coaction with said dial needle means to transfer knitting from the latter to the former, and said cam means being retractable and connected with controls of the knitting machine.
 6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said cylinder and dial needle means coact for reducing the number of operating needles of said cylinder needle means and for reducing the spacing of operating needles by one half.
 7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said dial needle means includes sinker portions coacting as a sinker means with respect to said cylinder needle means.
 8. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said dial needles respectively extend tangentially with respect to a small circle whose center is in the axis of rotation of said dial needle means for assuming a position respectively aligned with said operative half of said cylinder needles at said transfer station while being spaced substantially midway between said operative half of said cylinder needles at said stitch forming station.
 9. The combination of claim 1 and wherein a cam means forms part of said cylinder needles means for raising said operative half of said cylinder needles to a height adapted for coaction with said dial needles to transfer knitting from the latter to the former at said transfer station, said cam means being retractable and connected with controls of the knitting machine.
 10. In a method of operating a circular knitting machine having cylinder needles and dial needles with the number of cylinder needles being twice the number of dial needles, the steps of carrying out rib knitting operations while utilizing said dial needles and one half the number of cylinder needles while maintaining every other cylinder needle in an inactive position, and transferring knitting from said dial needles to the operative half of the number of cylinder needles while maintaining said other cylinder needles in said inactive position.
 11. In a method as recited in claim 10 and including the steps of placing said dial needles in engagement with said operative half of the number of cylinder needles during transfer of knitting thereto while spacing said dial needles between the operative half of the number of cylinder needles during stitch-forming operations.
 12. In a method as recited in claim 10 and including the step raising said cylinder needles to elevations above those used during rib knitting operations for effecting transfer of knitting from said dial needles to said cylinder needles.
 13. In a method as recited in claim 10 and including the step of utilizing those cylinder needles which are inactive during rib knitting operations with said dial needles in order to carry out additional knitting operations after transfer of knitting from said dial needles to said cylinder needles.
 14. In a method as recited in claim 13 and including the step of retracting said dial needles to inactive positions when knitting operations are carried out only with said cylinder needles.
 15. In a method as recited in claim 10 and including the step of correcting the longitudinal positions of the dial needles, if necessary, as the dial needles approach a transfer station where transfer of knitting from the dial needles to the cylinder needles takes place.
 16. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said control means includes a correcting cam situated in the path of movement of the dial needles as they approach said transfer station where transfer of the knitting takes place in order to correct the longitudinal positions of the dial needles, if necessary. 